Global Cannabis Consumption Landscape: A 4-Part Series for The Stoner Review Part 1: The Big Picture – Who’s Consuming the Most Cannabis Worldwide?

Cannabis is the world’s most widely used illicit (or newly legal) substance, with an estimated 200+ million past-year users globally. While small island nations and certain African/Pacific countries top per capita charts, sheer population size makes North America the undisputed heavyweight in total consumption. Legalization waves in the US, Canada, and parts of Europe have supercharged numbers, but traditional high-use regions in Africa, South America, and Asia keep the green flowing underground.

Data caveats are huge: many stats rely on old surveys (some from the 1990s), self-reporting, and varying age groups. Still, patterns are clear—legal access drives higher reported use, while cultural acceptance and availability keep consumption strong even where it’s banned.

In this series, we break down the largest consumer populations by total estimated users, blending prevalence rates with population realities. From legal powerhouses like the US to massive traditional markets in India and beyond, here’s the global stoner scoreboard as of 2026.